


You're Real

by ultraviolethaz



Series: Flufftober 2019 [6]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Best Friends, Flufftober, Friends to Lovers, Internet Friends, M/M, Roadtrip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-25 19:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20917418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultraviolethaz/pseuds/ultraviolethaz
Summary: Alec has never lived in an area where they see the trees change colours, so Magnus joins him on an adventure to see the leaves change colour.--The one where Magnus and Alec take a roadtrip across America





	You're Real

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! :)
> 
> This one took me ages to write and if I'm honest the ending is a little rushed but I like the way it turned out
> 
> Enjoy!

Alec had lived in Hawaii for most of his life, his family moved there when he was just five, he knew hot winters and even hotter summers. Sure he had visited mainland America on numerous occasions but only for a few days at a time, and when he was much younger. Now he’s eighteen, and on the longest summer break of his entire life, he was going to enjoy it before university in England called. When his mother had told him to enjoy the last few months of freedom, she didn’t mean to travel to the mainland, alone, meet up with his pen pal that he’d never met in person and roadtrip across the states. But that’s exactly what he was going to do. 

Magnus, his best friend, they had ‘met’ back in middle school, when Alec had been a part of a pen pal programme at his school- really his teachers way of trying to gain him social skills. Most of his classmates didn’t go passed one or two letters between their pen pals, but Alec and Magnus had exchanged hundreds, until Alec got a cell phone. They became best friends, yes it was more of an opposites attract situation but that just made their bond stronger. Alec always trying out the things Magnus liked and vise versa. When Alec had suggested they take the road trip, Magnus had called him crazy, saying there was no way his dad would allow it, but he had asked and Asmodeous had agreed almost instantly and even took over some of the planning. 

One week away from the trip, Alec was furiously packing, not sure of what he really needed, folding up his sweater, with Oxford splattered across the chest, up and placing it inside the suitcase and a dress shirt Isabelle had given him for his birthday, just in case. His mother walked into the room, sitting down on the edge of his bed and watching as he placed the final pair of shorts inside the case. 

“I’m proud of you honey” She spoke her eyes focused on the case and its contents

“Thank you mum, for letting me do this” Alec pushed the case out of the way and sat next to her on the bed “I’m nervous though” He confessed, squeezing the skin on his palm between his thumb and index finger.

“I spoke to Asmodeous on that video call thingy last night, he seems very nice, you’ll be okay honey you’ve always wanted to do this”

“I know it’s just what if Magnus is, I don't know, different?”

“Oh I see, you’ve known him for years, we both have spoken to him, you know if he is as you say different then I will fly out and we’ll do the road trip together okay?” Alec nodded, he could feel tears pricking his eyes, his mum was right he had known Magnus for years. He was the most caring person Alec knew, the first person he ever came out to, the fear of Magnus being someone else completely terrified him and he would be somewhere, where he had no one else to fall back on. Yes this trip was probably considered dangerous, meeting someone you don’t truly know but he had to take the jump. He snuggled into his mum’s shoulder, as she soothed him, and one by one he felt the nerves leave, he had nothing to be nervous about really. “You get some sleep, we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow”

The airport was the most stressful experience of Alec’s life, yes he’d been and done it all but with his family there, never on his own. But once he finally got through security, he slumped into one of the metal chairs and waited for his flight. He was flying to Los Angeles, meeting Magnus at the airport and then they were officially starting the road trip. He pulled his cell out of his pocket and started typing a message to his mum.

_ “Made it through security, only waiting now”  _ Sending it off, hoping his mum would see it, since she was currently driving back home, after dropping him off. Opening up Twitter, he opened his DMs with Magnus, who would be at the airport himself, and gave him an update on the situation, just as Magnus had earlier in the day. 

_ Alec : Just made it through security _

_ Magnus : My flights been delayed :( but I'll still get there before you _

_ Alec : I can’t wait to see you _

_ Magnus : I can’t wait to see you either <3 _

Out on the other side of the flight, he messaged Magus quickly that he was picking up his bag. Wheeling it through the departure doors, he was looking for the man, he suddenly spotted his best friend. Alec sped up his walking, trying not to run towards him but in the end he gave up, dropping the handle of his suitcase from his hand and wrapping his hands around Magnus’ neck, snuggling into his shoulder. Finally. He felt arms around his waist, pulling him impossibly close, Alec pulled back slightly to properly look at his friend, arms still wrapped around the other’s neck. He took in Magnus’ face, the black hair, brown eyes and how they were slightly golden in this light, the makeup he was wearing. Before he could think he pulled Magnus back into the hug, they stood like that for ages before finally pulling away.

“I can't believe you’re here, in person” Magnus finally said

“You’re real” Alec stuttered out, under tears that were surfacing “I’m sorry that was dumb” Wipping his eyes with his jacket sleeve and laughing slightly, before reaching for his suitcase, they both walked out of the airport, and headed towards the hotel. 

A shared hotel room and bed was the cheapest for just one night, tomorrow they would head down to the rental service across the street and pick up the rental car, Magnus’ dad booked months before. Laying in the bed, on his phone, Alec thought of how weird it was that he had just met his best friend for the first time and now they were going to sit in bed, order room service and watch a movie together. There was a knock at the door, Magnus rushed out of the bathroom and said he’d get it. Joining Alec on the bed, he started talking

“I got you something” Head ducked as he said it, and shy hands holding a small parcel with a bow tied around it- when did he pick that up? Alec thought as he took the small box and started unveiling the ribbon. Opening it to find two enamel pins, one of a rainbow cow and one of the Empire State Building.

“Thank you, you shouldn’t have done that”

“No but you deserve it and I know you like pins and…” Magnus was suddenly encased in a hug before he could finish his thought, he wrapped his own arms around Alec, and hearing thank yous whispered into his hair.

Waking up that next morning, with a warm body beside him Alec truly thought of how lucky he was to be in Los Angeles with his best friend. Rolling onto his back, he listened for any sounds of Magnus’ breathing changing, but instead the sound of the bed creaking was what eventually alerting him to Magnus being very much awake.

“Good morning” Magnus croaked out, coughing to clear his throat afterwards

“Morning” He felt awkward, yes he had known Magnus for years but yesterday was the first time they had met in person and this was their first morning together- well so to speak. 

“Am I real yet?” Alec facepalmed, he couldn’t believe that was the first thing he had said yesterday

“Never going to let that go, are you?”

“Nope” Magnus seemed satisfied and rolled out of bed and walked to the other side of the room grabbing some clothes and going into the bathroom. Alec was confused to say the least.

\--

Many many days into the road trip, the pair were tired, actually no that's an understatement, they were exhausted. They were on day five of the trip and travelling to Omaha, it was Alec’s turn to drive and the silence between the two of them was killing him. They had had their first fight of the trip this morning, over something completely stupid, Magnus leaving a piece of clothing on the floor that Alec tripped over. When Alec had commented on it, it was over pure exhaustion that he got annoyed at it, and he didn’t mean to and he was about to say sorry but Magnus had already left the room before he got to. Now they hadn’t spoken a single word to each other for the last three hours, the silence that was slowly turning Alec insane. At the next gas station Alec had had enough, he locked the doors so Magnus couldn’t get in the car.

“We need to talk” Magnus rested against the car, folding his arms in front of himself and nodded for Alec to continue “I’m sorry, I overreacted”

“Apology accepted”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Alec you’re my best friend I couldn’t be angry at you” 

That’s the line that got Alec to the hotel, even when there was silence in the car once again because Magnus was concentrating on the road and trying to get them to the hotel in one piece. Inside the room, there was more than one bed this time around, for most of the trip they had been sharing a bed but it didn’t really matter. It just seemed ironic to Alec now that they had fought once, that they wouldn’t have to share the same space. Later into the night, Magnus had been gone for a while, Alec wasn’t surprised when he offered to go down and get the food from the take away he had seen as they drove in that morning. Alec had just been scrolling through his Twitter, he had sent Magnus a text ten minutes ago asking if everything was okay, to which he hadn’t got a reply back yet. But when he heard the beep of the door lock, he relaxed a little, ready to ask where the man had been for the last forty five minutes. He opened his mouth but when he noticed Magnus had been crying, he just stood and wrapped his arms around his friend. 

“Hey, what happened?” Magnus’ face between his palms trying to get him to look him in the eyes

“I’m sorry”

“What for?” Hands dropping to Magnus’ shoulders, still trying to hold on for a little longer

“I have something to tell you” Alec was instantly concerned, what had happened? They both sat on one of the beds and Alec gestured for Magnus to talk, who was trying to wipe his eyes “I’m gay” Alec just smiled, “Well not gay, bi, bisexual, I’m bisexual” Alec watched as the tension left Magnus’ form, how he let out a breath and his shoulders relaxed, Alec knew that feeling all too well.

“I’m so proud of you” Alec spoke, it felt like the right thing to do

“That’s not all”

“Oh?”

“I’m bi and in love with someone”

“That’s amazing you should tell them Magnus”

“I just did”

That evening they spent talking, lots of talking. Alec discovered that Magnus had had feelings for him, since middle school, but had never said anything because he was scared that Alec wouldn’t like him back. Then when Alec came out, Magnus just didn’t know how to tell him, this trip became a way for Magnus to maybe pluck up the courage to tell his best friend. This whole trip had been a way for them to actually meet and with the added bonus that maybe Alec would see the tree leaves change colour for the first time in his life. After all the heartbreak Alec has experienced with past relationships and friendships, he thought that maybe his heart was changing colour too.

**Author's Note:**

> My Twitter : @cobaltbane


End file.
